Incandescent-lamp socket.



'No. 662,5!0. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

E. P. WARNER.

INGANDESCENT LAMP SOCKET.

(Application filed May 20, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ERNEST P. WARNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

lNCANDESOENT-LA'MP SOCKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,510, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed May 20, 1899. Serial No. 717,595. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST P. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Incandescent-Lamp Sockets, (Case No. 68,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a switch-socket for Io incandescent lamps; and its object is to improve and simpify the construction of such devices in numerous details, especially with regard to the switching mechanism and the mounting of the several parts.

r5 One feature of my invention consists in a providing improved means for retaining the base-plate within the base while the parts of the socket are being assembled.

Another feature consists in an improved form of switching mechanism whereby the circuit may be quickly and effectively broken at two points and, further, whereby the movable parts of the switch may be entirely disconnected from any current-carrying part when the circuit is broken to extinguish the lamp, thus lessening the danger of accidental short-circuits;

My invention consists, further, in certain details of construction and combinations of 0 mechanism, which I will hereinafterfully describe and which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I will describe my invention particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings,

3 5 wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a lamp-socket embodying my invention, some of the parts being shown in elevation.

0 plane at an angle to that of l and showing the switching mechanism in a position to complete the electric circuit which includes the lamp. Fig. 3 is a view similar in all respects to Fig. 2, except that the switching mechanism is shown in its alternative position with the circuit through the lamp broken. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through a plane at right angles with the plane of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view, the

upper insulating-plate having been removed to disclose the parts below.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through a,

Similar letters of reference are used to designate the same parts wherever they are shown.

The base-plate a, whereon the switch parts are mounted, is of a generally circular shape and is held in place within the cup-shaped base I) by resilient arms 1) I). These arms branch upwardly from the bottom of the cup and follow its side walls, the upper ends of said arms being resilient for lightly engaging the beveled upper edge ct of the base-plate a. This arrangement is provided for convenience in assembling the several parts, so that the base plate may be maintained within the cup while other parts are being manipulated. The base plate is of course made from insulating material, such as porcelain, and a second porcelain plate 0, whereon the contact-terminals d cl of the lamp-socket are mounted, is supported from the base-plate a by the posts or arms 6 f. The parts 6 and f are secured to the base-plate a by screws ef, respectively, and the plate 0 is mounted. upon the top of said posts and attached thereto by 7 5 screws c f respectively, screw f also serving to fasten the lamp-terminal d in place. The terminal contact-pieces d d shown are adapted for receiving a well-known form of in candescent lamp; but it is evident that these terminals may be given the proper forms for any of the well-known types of lamp-bases.

The shell N, which is designed to inclose and protect the current'carrying parts of the socket, fits snugly within the base b, between the Walls thereof and the arms I) b, and is held in place by screws 13 19 passing through the base and shell and having threaded engagement with said arms. The upper part of the shell is contracted, leaving a shoulder 19 therein, against which the upper porcelain plate 0 abuts, and whereby the two plates 0 and b, with the parts supported thereby, are held in position.

A binding-screw g is provided upon the 5 post 6, whereby one of the conducting-wires may be attached to such post, constituting the same one of the terminals of the circuit. The other conducting-wire is in permanent electrical connection with the screw-post termi- IOO nal (1' through an arm h, mounted upon said screw-post terminal underneath the plate 0,

thumb-piece or key 1m.

'andffrom the spring. when the circuit is thus broken the parts of tend upwardly between the two ,posts 6 and f and normally are disengaged from the other parts of the switching mechanism, but may be spread apart by a rotatable cam-block Z, mounted between them, until they engage and electricallyconnect the posts e'and f. The

cam-block Z is mounted upon a shaft 'm, so that it canturn a short distance in either direction independently thereof, and theshaft is mounted to rotate in bearings Z0 75, extending upwardly from the bed-plate 70, said shaft being connected with and operated by the The upwardly-extending arms t" are preferably shouldered or buckled where they are engaged by the cam Z, as shown at 1' 2' so that the cam will be This also held against accidental rotation. secures a quick break by releasingthe cam as soon as it has been forced past the shoulders i, the arms being thus permitted to spring toward one another, simultaneously breaking the circuit at two points in -seriesthat is, disconnecting both contact-posts 6 It will be noted that the swi'tching mechanism-the spring i, camblock Z, and shaft m, together with their mounting 7care entirely disconnected from any of the current-carrying parts, thus effect-ually:preventingaccidentalshortcircuits.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Paten t, the following:

1. In an incandescent-lamp socket, the

combination with the base, of a base-plate contained therein, said base-platesupporting the switching and contact parts, and resilient arms b b mounted upon the base and having flange-tipped, spring-like ends adapted to engage with the upper edge or periphery of said base-plate, whereby said base-plate is held by-said=arn1s against removal from the base, substantially as set forth.

2. In an incandescent lamp socket, the

combination'with the base, of a base-plate contained therein, said base-plate supporting the switching and contact parts, arms b I) carried by the base, said arms having resilient flange-tipped ends adapted to engage the periphery of said base-plate to retain the same against removal from the socket, an inclosing shell fitting upon the base, and screws 19 b passing through the base and shell and having threaded engagement with said arms to secure the shell to the base, the base-plate being independent of said screws, substantially as set forth. 3. In aswitch-soc'ket, the combination with the base-plate a, of an insulating-plate 0 carrying the socket-terminals, posts 2 f uniting said plates and form-i ng con -tact parts, a pair of spring'contact-arms i 'flelectrically united but normally disconnected from any elec- 'trical ly-energized part, the said arms being adapted respectively to electrically engage with the posts e f or open the circuit therebetween at two points, and a cam Za'dapt'ed to be actuated and effect such engagement and disengagement of the contact-arms and posts, substantiallyas described.

4. In an incandescent-"lamp socket, the combination with the base, of an insulating base-plate a contained therein, an upper insulating-plate 0, two arms e f mounted upon the base-plate and supporting said upper plate, an inclosing shell b mounted upon the base and having a shoulder 19 engaging with the said upper plate 0, a lamp-socket terminal d electrically connected with one of the said supporting-posts, the other of'said supporting-posts being connected with one terminal of the leading-in wires, a second lampsocket terminal 61'' connected with the other leading-in wire, a U-s-haped contactspring mounted between the said posts and normally disconnected from anycurrent-carrying part, and a rotatable cam Zadapted to spread the arms of said U shapedspring aparttoengage one with each of said posts, whereby the circuit from one post to the other is completed through said U-sha-ped spring, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of May, A. D. 1899.

, ERNEST P. WARNER. Witnesses: 4

DE 'W ITT O. TANNER,

WINFIELD W. LEAOH. 

